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The trophy that’s presented to the winner of the World Cup is arguably the most recognizable piece of athletic hardware on the planet. However, you may not know the one that’s currently up for grabs isn’t the same one that was originally handed out to the victor—which has been missing for over 40 years.
The “World Cup” seems like a bit of a misnomer when you consider the trophy that’s up for grabs is decidedly not a cup. However, that hasn’t always been the case, as the one that was given out when the inaugural tournament was held in Uruguay in 1930 definitely fit the bill.
That World Cup (which was eventually dubbed the “Jules Rimet Trophy” to honor the FIFA president who presided from 1921 to 1954) was an Art Deco-inspired depiction of Nike (the Greek god of victory) constructed of sterling silver that was coated with gold.
In 1966, the trophy temporarily disappeared after it was put on display in England prior to the World Cup, and its location remained a mystery for around a week before a dog discovered it wrapped in newspaper and tucked underneath a bush in London.
The greatest prize in soccer may have been recovered after that incident, but that wasn’t the case when it disappeared for a second time more than 15 years later.
The heist that led to the disappearance of the original World Cup
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When the World Cup was held for the first time, Jules Rimet declared the first country to win the tournament on three separate occasions would earn the right to permanently keep and display the trophy that was eventually named after him.
As a result, the stakes were fairly high when Italy and Brazil met in the World Cup Final in Mexico City in 1970, as both sides already had a couple of titles under their belt before the latter earned the right to take the trophy home for good with a decisive 4-1 win.
It was eventually put on display at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation, and visitors to its offices in Rio de Janeiro got the chance to get up close and personal with a prize that was encased in bulletproof glass. However, the anti-theft efforts left a bit to be desired.
On the evening of December 19, 2023, a security guard working the night shift was overpowered by a couple of men who ordered him to let them into the room where the Jules Rimet Trophy was being stored. While the glass may have been bulletproof, the case itself was not immune to the crowbar that was used to pry open the cabinet, and they left with the hallowed artifact (and two other trophies) in tow to cap off a robbery that took them three hours.
Authorities quickly offered a $10,000 reward for information concerning the whereabouts of the trophy (and the people who stole it), and an investigation eventually led to a few suspects being tracked down and charged with the heist.
A banker named Sérgio Pereira Ayres was painted as the mastermind who hired two men (Francisco Rivera and José Luiz Vieira) to carry out the physical part of the plan. While they claimed they gave the trophy to a jeweler to have him melt it down for the gold, officials weren’t able to find evidence to corroborate that claim.
Officials noted the trophy itself was theoretically worth much more than the materials it was made of, so while there’s a chance the men who were charged (who attempted to flee the country after being sentenced for the crime) were able to move it to an unscrupulous collector on the black market, it’s final fate was never determined.
Brazil did receive a replica to replace the pilfered item in 1984, and as of this writing, no one has been able to steal it.